Some Thoughts on Election Day 2016

1. Social Media is a horribly divisive thing.  I am sure for centuries there have been differing political views in families and friend circles and churches.  But people are now “saying” things out loud, online, that they would never vocalize in person.  Unfortunately I don’t think Believers in Christ look much different than the rest of the world in this area.  If you truly want to reach people who are lost and you openly support a candidate and bash the opponent, you have just lost the respect and possibly the ear of half of the people who read your posts.

2. I am so confused by this whole feminist thing.  So many people seem to be voting for Hilary based on her gender.  I get it…..many people also voted for Obama based on his race.  But why are women suddenly being viewed as oppressed?  In America?  Really?  I must be totally blind, because things seem pretty even to me.  I can’t help but wonder what women in three-fourths of the world, who are TRULY oppressed, think when they see American women claiming to be feminists and talk about being oppressed.  It’s embarrassing.

3. Ultimately I had to base my vote on something.  Honestly, until about a week ago I didn't think I could cast a vote for either person.  As much as I could, I pulled the personalities of the candidates aside and chose the person who I believe will lead the country in the best direction.  You will not see me post who that person is on facebook or twitter or even on this blog, (which I'm not even sure anyone reads.)  I'm smart enough to know that proclaiming who I choose is not going to influence others to do the same.  And I am choosing to love people rather than divide people.

I didn’t vote for our current president, and I didn’t agree with most things he did while in office.  But I still had a level of of respect for him.  It’s probably the way I was brought up to respect those in authority.  I cringed inwardly when I was around people who bashed him.  Whether the person I voted for wins tonight or not, the president is the president.  I was born into, and have chosen to remain in, a country where the people choose.  And most importantly, God is always good,

Wait. I Like Sports??

This morning I was reminded that the Summer Olympics are this year!  Now, if you know me, “sports fan” is definitely not in the list of terms people would use to describe who I am.  Sure, I enjoy an occasional Buckeye football game or maybe a little bit of football between the Superbowl commercials, but VERY little else.  But for some reason, I will turn on the TV and watch summer and winter Olympics.

So this got me thinking.  What is it about the Olympics that appeals to me?  I have pondered this today and here is the best conclusion I came to.  Before an event, the network shares stories of some of the athletes.  We hear about how some of them overcame crazy obstacles to get where they are.  Maybe they had some type of physical disability that they conquered.  Or they come from a little-known country where they had to train themselves.  But despite what was in their way, they made it to the very top of their sport.  They made it through qualifying rounds and now they are the best of the best and get to compete for a spot on a podium.  Before the Opening Ceremonies, I probably can’t name a single athlete that will be competing (remember….not a sports fan) but for 2 weeks I get to be inspired by great stories and emotional victories.

So, if I was at the top of my game, would I have a story?  What would the 3 minute clip be before I swim the 400 meter individual medley.  (yeah, I think I would pick swimming if I was going to be there.)

<< Cue dreamy, dramatic music >>  Born to a loving family of average means in the capital city of Ohio, Beth had a great childhood.  She got to experience great things like family vacations, awards at school and really great friendships.  Like many first-borns, she liked to excel in school, in music and in making good life decisions.  She rarely got into trouble of any kind (well maybe little bits here and there, but that doesn’t show up in the film.)  She went to church most every Sunday as a kid and served less fortunate people through various organizations.  People who knew her well thought she had it all together.  BUT…….she was dead and headed to hell.  All of her moral living and good deeds were worthless in changing her destination.  Over time, and with Godly people speaking into her life, she realized that only through a real relationship with Jesus could something be done about her doomed existence.  << Cue epic music> >>  Her life took a 180 degree turn and she changed her destiny forever!

Okay, I’m cheesy.  But face it….people love a good “rags to riches”, “defeat turned to success” story.  And LITERALLY all my moral living and good deeds were like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) until I realized that in Christ, I could gain everything.  And even the best tear-jerking Olympic athlete story pales in comparison to the stories of being dead and then being alive!  

Man, I love a good story…

Ephesians 2:5-6The Message (MSG)

He Tore Down the Wall

2 1-6 It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

Failure to Launch

I wasn’t going to do this post, but it kept popping into my head, so this is my attempt to get rid of it.

Disclaimer:  This post is not directed at anyone in particular.  If you read this and think I am writing specifically to you, I definitely am not.  It is merely based on my observations and my opinions concerning this young adult generation.

More and more often I am seeing young adults (18-28) who are not “launching.”  I would almost describe them as stuck.  They either don’t know what they want to do or they don’t have any motivation to just do something.  They may either continue to live at home, dependent on their parents, still living as a teenager even though they are in their early twenties.  Or sometimes they take the step of moving out, usually with other friends who are also “stuck,” and continue to drift aimlessly for the next decade.

Don’t hear me saying that everyone’s life needs to look the same…..graduate HS at 18, go to a 4 year college, land your “forever career”, marry at 24, babies at 26.  I think there are lots of paths that look very different than this.  But when I look at so many young adults, I don’t see adults.  Also, don’t hear me saying our family got all of this right.  We didn’t.

I don’t think it can be said that 100% of these cases can be “blamed” on parenting, but I do think that there are certain things parents can do to give their kids the best chance at success.  There are certain milestones that hit before a kid turns 18 that help lead to independence.  These are baby steps to adulthood and when I see families who don’t take some of these steps, the result is not always positive.  

• Getting a driver’s license.  It is a lot of work and stress for the parents, but it is so necessary in building independence.
• Working a job.  You may think “How is making blizzards at DQ going to help my child?”  Well…time management, budgeting, work ethic, interview skills, interpersonal skills, understanding employee-employer relations….I could go on and on.
• Being totally responsible for their school work.  By the last 2 years of high school, I think kids should be self-motivated and handling their own education.  Too many times I see parents checking grades on-line daily, delivering forgotten school items to the school (oops, I was bad about that one), talking to teachers and administrators when a 17 year old should be doing that themselves.
• Working out problems themselves.  I’m not saying don’t be supportive and give advice or jump in when absolutely necessary.  I AM saying, “Let them fail.”  If they are having a problem with a friend, they need to work it out.  The coach is not playing them on the team?  Encourage them to set up a meeting to talk about it.

There is something about this generation that is vastly different than my generation.  Sure, we had a few drifters, but for the most part my peers left home at 18 for college or the military or a career and rarely ended up back home.  We set goals and, even if they were unrealistic and had to be modified (yes, I started out pre-med), we had a plan.

I also think we are too willing to support this drifting lifestyle; letting kids stay home for years while they figure it out.  But they aren’t figuring it out.  They are playing video games and living in a world of social media rather than the world of flesh and bones.  Things like walking into a college class or interviewing for a job are hard and uncomfortable.  Why do that when you can sit in a comfy house where people won’t reject you or you have to do things that aren’t always fun?

So far I have hit on a lot of practical, concrete things.  But there is one really big thing, too.  I believe that parenting your child’s spiritual health is by far the most important thing you can do to get them ready for adulthood.  You cannot make them say YES to Christ….only they can do that.  But you can do everything within your ability to fan the flame and fuel the fire.  For an 18 year old living on mission, adulthood and independence are not big, scary things.  They are amazing opportunities to do the only two things that are really important.  Bring glory to God, and show others the reason for your hope.  EVERYTHING else you do with your life comes back to those 2 things if you are a believer.  If you keep Him your focus and your mission and your prize, suddenly interviewing for a job, getting an apartment, building relationships become a little more appealing, don’t they?

Again, if you know me and you felt like I was talking about you, I wasn’t.  This is a broad trend and maybe someone with a 12 year old will read this and do something differently.